The Vieux Carré is a slightly sweet, spiced, and warming drink with herbal, citrus, and smoky notes. It is one of the signature drinks of New Orleans made from equal parts of rye whiskey, cognac, and sweet vermouth. Not one, but two bitters are used and there is a hint of a classic herbal liqueur to give it even more dimension.

This complex rye whiskey and cognac cocktail from the 1930s is named after a hotel in the Old Quarter of New Orleans. It is just as popular today as it was when it was first created. It is named after the French phrase meaning “old square” which refers to the French Quarter.

Vieux Carré Recipe
Yields one cocktail

Ingredients
3/4 ounce rye whiskey
3/4 ounce cognac
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1 to 2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 to 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
1/2 ounce Bénédictine liqueur
Cherry or lemon twist, garnish

Directions
Put ice in a cocktail glass. Pour in the rye, cognac, vermouth, and Benedictine. Shake in Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters.

Stir, then strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice, and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.